Fuel injectors for the direct injection of fuel into the combustion chamber of a mixture-compressing internal combustion engine having externally supplied ignition may be held down in the cylinder head by a clamping shoe that is bolted to the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine. Such a clamping shoe is discussed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application No. 831 25 03. In that case, the clamping shoe presses on a shoulder of the fuel injector and thereby is secures it in the receiving bore hole of the cylinder head. The clamping shoe is tightened so securely by a suitable tool, e.g., a torque wrench, that the fuel injector may not be I forced out of the cylinder head by the pressure prevailing in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.
The fixing device discussed in Japanese Patent Application No. 831 25 03 may not provide protection for the fuel injector, held down by the fixing device, against rotation in the cylinder head. Due to the vibrations occurring during operation of the internal combustion engine, the fuel injector may twist in its fitting position relative to the cylinder head, which means, for example, the electric cable connections for actuating the fuel injector and the fuel distributor line flange-mounted on the fuel injector may be damaged. The subsequent malfunctions may lead to damage to the fuel injector, as well as the entire internal combustion engine.